Could it be Pesticides?

Linda Earle

Allen Road Elementary School

learle@nscsd.org

Introduction:

You are a local scientist that has been asked by Mayor Atkinson (Mayor of North Syracuse) to determine the effects of pesticides on the local community’s food web. You discover that every neighborhood has been using pesticides on their lawn and gardens. You will need a team of scientists to gather information about the community food web and report some solutions back to the Mayor.

Task:

You assemble a small group of scientists to work on the problem with you. Your assigned group of scientists will gather information about food chains and webs locally then develop an oral presentation with a powerpoint presentation to show the mayor your results. At the conclusion of your presentation you will provide the mayor with possible solutions and tell the best solution.

PROCESS and RESOURCES:

Your group of scientists will need to learn the PPA to help you build a solution into your powerpoint presentation. Each scientist will be assigned a role by the teacher: · Notetaker – someone that writes neat and takes complete and clear notes for others to read · Reader – someone that reads the information aloud off the resources. · Powerpoint expert – someone that puts together the information on the powerpoint at the end with interesting transistions · Presenters – two scientists that will present the information to the Mayor.

1. Your scientists will need to understand how food webs work. http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/food/food_menu.html

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/explorer/ecosystems/be_an_explorer/map/foodweb_play.htm

2. Now that you understand how a food web works you will need to learn what animals and plants are commonly found in North Syracuse.
Make a list of the animals and what they eat.

Mammals and small mammals in New York:

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/263.html

3. Build a food web with the animals commonly found in North Syracuse.

http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/frogs/chain_reaction/play_chainreaction.cfm

http://www.vtaide.com/png/foodweb.htm

4. Study the problem of adding pesticides into the food web. Follow these links until you get to the worksheet. Then as a group, decide what information should be typed in for the notetaker. Save this worksheet.

1.What is the problem?

2.Where is the evidence?

Bees are missing. The population is decreased.

Why are missing bees a concern for the environment?

The case of the missing bees

3.What are the causes?

The pesticide problem

4.What is the existing policy?

http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8531.html

WATER QUALITY PROTECTION

TIPS FOR PROFESSIONAL APPLICATORS

click here to read the brochure

What did France do? Read this news article to see what other places are doing to fix this problem.

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/france-bans-beekilling-pesticide-but-its-still-rife-here-7821239.html

4.What policies can you create to correct the problem? Click on this link and review what’s next.

5.What is the best policy to correct the problem?

(Feasibility vs. Effectiveness)

Make sure you complete worksheet #6 and print your final decision that you will be presenting to the Mayor.

Evaluation

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
Clearly identified and presented the problem	Problem was poorly identified and/or presented or not presented at all.	Problem was not clearly identified and/or presented.	Problem was adequately identified and presented.	Problem was clearly identified and presented. Examples were used to make certain everything was clear.
Powerpoint presentation	Powerpoint was sloppy, unorganized and unoriginal.	Powerpoint was somewhat neat, organized and contained some clip art.	Powerpoint was fairly neat, organized and contained clip art and additional graphics	Powerpoint presentation was very neat, well organized and creatively put together with clip art, links, verbal presentation matches the slides.
Conventions	Grammar and spelling were poor. No attention to the editing process. Slides are awkward to understand.	Grammar and spelling was mostly incorrect and get in the way of understanding.	Grammar and spelling were mostly correct.	Grammar and spelling were exemplary. Slides are fluent.
Use of PPA Worksheets	Only one PPA step was used	Two to three of the PPA steps were used.	Four to five of the PPA steps were used.	All six steps of the PPA were used.
Worked well in a small group.	There was little cooperation. Most students in the small group did not stick to the task nor pay attention to their roles. Interception by the teacher was necessary on more than one occasion.	There were some discussions without interception from the teacher. Some students stuck to their roles.	Most students were able to work together without difficulty. Some members participating in conversations.	Students accepted their role, worked well with everyone in the group, helped those that needed it and stayed completely on task. Each member listened and each member participated in all discussions.

Conclusion:

Congratulations! You and your group of scientists have successfully researched food chains, examined the evidence of what pesticides can do to the food chain, specifically how bees are affected, and were an important part of the policy the Mayor will put together.

Standards:

Elementary Science Core Curriculum

Standard 1: Students will use scientific inquiry as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.

S1.2 Question the explanations they hear from others and read about, seeking clarification

and comparing them with their own observations and understandings.

S1.2a Identify similarities and differences between explanations received

Key Idea 2:

Beyond the use of reasoning and consensus, scientific inquiry involves the testing of proposed

explanations involving the use of conventional techniques and procedures and usually

requiring considerable ingenuity.

S2.1 Develop written plans for exploring phenomena or for evaluating explanations

guided by questions or proposed explanations they have helped formulate.

S2.1a Indicate materials to be used and steps to follow to conduct the investigation

and describe how data will be recorded (journal, dates and times, etc.)

S2.2 Share their research plans with others and revise them based on their suggestions.

S2.2a Explain the steps of a plan to others, actively listening to their suggestions

for possible modification of the plan, seeking clarification and understanding of the suggestions and modifying the plan where appropriate

STANDARD 2—Information Systems

Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

Key Idea 1:

Information technology is used to retrieve, process, and communicate information and as a

tool to enhance learning.

• use computer technology, traditional paper-based resources, and interpersonal

discussions to learn, do, and share science in the classroom

ELA standards for writing;

2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. a. Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting

7. Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

Reading standards for informational text;